Telephone-signal and switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' G. E. 'BUELL. a

TELEPHONE SIGNAL AND SWITCH. No. 251,180. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. E. BUELL.

TELEPHONE SIGNAL AND SWITCH. No. 251,180. Patented D60; 20,1881.

P dd fi i iu I I CHARLES E. BUELL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF TVVO- THIRDS TO JAMES G. SMITH, OF HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, AND GEORGE IV. COY, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TELEPHONE-SIGNAL AND SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 251,180, dated December 20, 1881.

Application filed April 30, 1881.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BUELL, of the city and county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain Improvements in Telephone Signals and Switches therefor, which are fully set forth in the following specification.

My invention relates to the exchange or district system of communicating orally; and it IO consists of a central-office switch and its signaling and indicating apparatus and telephoneconnections, and of a series of lines, each leading therefrom to one or more outlying subscribers stations, and the devices at such stations for transmitting and receiving signals and for connecting the several telephones in and out of circuit.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the operation of district systems, to secure such systems against the liability of having their main lines left open at subscribers stations, to simplify and cheapen the apparatus, and to iin= prove the modes of signaling between central stations and the outlying subscribers stations.

Figure 1 represents a main line with the subscribers stations Aand B. Fig. 2 is a modification of the stations A and B. Fig. 3 is a further modification of the station apparatus; and Fig. 4 represents a central-office switch,

0 with its various connecting, signaling, and telephoning devices.

In Fig. 1, station A, there is shown a telephone without a transmitter or call-bell, but provided with a calling-key, K, and a switch, S.

5 When a call is sounded by a battery rapidly reversed a sound will'be emitted by a telephone included in a line so charged, so that in places where there are no extraneous sounds a call can be heard without a bell.

As it is desirable to withdraw the telephones from circuit when not required for oral communication, I have provided a switch for subscribers stations, which, when moved to rest on its contact-point 17, cuts out the telephone 5 T, by affording a path of less resistance for the traversing currents. Turning the switch away from its contact-point c interposes the telephone in the main line, and as the continuity of the line is not disturbed at any time the lia- (No model.)

bility of the wire being left open by a subscrib- 5o ers neglect to turn the switch is avoided. The neglect to cutout the telephone and out in the call-bell does not greatly interfere with others using the wire, as calls can be sounded on the telephone itself, and oral communication carried on with such telephone included in the circuit.

As it is desirable to withdraw the telephones from circuit when not required for oral communication, I have provided a shunting-switch, which, when moved to rest upon its contactpoint a, shunts out the telephone T, and, turning the switch away from its contact, interposes the telephone in the main line, and by the employment of such switches the liability of the wire being left open by a subscribers neglect is avoided, as a neglect to turn the switch S back to its contact 1; does not greatly interfere with other uses of the line.

When it is desired to employ a call-bell and transmitter at the subscribers stationsthe mode of connecting them with the line and with each other is shown as arranged at station B, Figs.

1 and 2, whereby the call-bell is cut out when the telephone is introduced into a main circuit at a subscribers station.

In Fig. 2 the switch S is shown with a hook attached, whereby the weight of the telephone hung therefrom brings the switch S to contact with the point 12. In this form of switch it is preferable to use a spring which will sever contact, instead of a pivoted lever, S, in Fig. 1.

The call-bell C, telephone T, transmitter 122, and battery B can. be of the well-known forms, and connected and arranged as common "to those systems in use.

Fig. 3 represents an automatic shuntingswitch designed to be used with an individual call-bell. (Not shown.) The sending of reversed currents upon the main line,which will 0 be more fully described hereinafter, makes operative the polarized armature a, of the electromagnet E, which armature is arranged to act as an escapement to the clock mechanism W, which tends to revolve forward when released 5 by the armature a. The pin 1) (shown in contact with the armature a) is a rubber pin, and when left in contact interposes the telephone T and transmitter m in the main line through the wires ff. The wheel W and its other pins or teeth being metallic and connected electrically to the main circuit, and the armature a being metallic and connected with the wiref, the telephone T is shunted out of circuit through the less resistance of the wire f, armaphones, and the added connections to the transmitting apparatus for the purpose of signaling to the outlying stations by reversals of the circuit, whereby such individual call-bells can be made operative as require alternate right and left hand pulsations to make them operate, and whereby call-bells adapted to ring byrapidly changing the currents upon a main line may be employed and more agreeable'and distinct calls be produced.

The transmitting apparatus consists of a battery, a pole-changing device, and a switch for connecting and disconnecting the several lines thereto. There may be added the key K for shunting out a resistance, Rflwhen desired, to employ individual calls which are first brought into circuit by reversals and made to sound by increasing the force upon the circuit. There is also shown the key K, which may be used to break the signals up into a definite number of calls.

As shown, the circuit is reversed by turning the wheel N to raise and lower the key-lever to close the wires P P, which alternately shortcircuit and interpose the heavy battery 00, which first withdraws its force from the line and allows the opposed battery 3 to assert itselfin a well-known way; and, second,ag..in, when the wires P P are ruptured the heavy battery 00 is interposed in the circuit, changing the polarity of its charging-currents.

The wheel N may be run by clock mechanism; or a lever actuated by an electro-magnet and local battery may be employed without departing from my invention, and has been so used by me.

I do not claim in this application the combination of the constantly-operating currentreversing apparatus with devices for connecting said apparatus to any one of several subscribers lines centering in a telephone centralofficeswitch-board, as this forms the subject of a separate application. Nor do I claim in this application the combination, with a central-office switch, of a series of main lines, devices for connecting any two of said lines for oral communication, apparatus included in each circuit to indicate a call or signal at the central office, and independent devices for connecting either line to a pole-changing apparatus for transmitting outgoing signals, as this claim is made in another application filed by me.

What I claim isl. The combination, with a central-office switch and a series of main lines diverging therefrom, of devices for connecting any two of said lines for oral communication, and switch devices at outlying stations,'adapted to introduce a telephone in and withdraw a telephone from a main line without interrupting the continuity of the line, with means at the central office for signaling to the subscribers stations by reversals of the currents, the whole arranged and operating substantially as described, so that the line cannot be made inoperative by neglect, and whereby calls can be sounded upon the telephone or a call-bell, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a series of main lines and switch devices for connecting any two of said lines for oral communication, of telephone apparatus at the subscribers station which is included in a loop of the main line and switch, and connections, adapted to cut out the telephone-loop without disconnecting it from the main line, substantially as and fo the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a central-office switch substantially such as described,ofa polechanging apparatus and devices for connecting the same to either of a series of main lines, and means for varying the circuits tension, for the purpose and in the manner described.

, 4. The combination, with a main electric circuit, ofa series of telephone-stations, each provided with a telephone in a loop of the said main circuit, an independent branch containing a call-bell magnet, and switch devices adapted to alternately interpose the telephone and call-bell magnet in the main circuit without disturbing the continuity of the main circuit.

CHARLES E. BUELL.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. HIoKs, GEORGE W. OoY. 

